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My name is not Rosa. And I am not married to a man whose last name is Hierro. An English-speaker may not understand the humor of those statements. But if you know me, you at least recognize the truth in them. Allow me to explain.

When a North American woman marries, she usually takes her husband’s name. Rose Smith marries Mr. Jones and becomes Rose Jones. In the Hispanic culture, when a woman marries, she takes her husband’s name, but it is added to the end of her maiden name with “de” (of). So, Rosa Perez marries Sr. Martinez and she becomes Rosa Perez de Martinez.

When Rosa introduces herself, the shorter version of her name may be “Rosa Perez” or, as often happens in Christian circles, she may introduce herself as “Rosa de Martinez” (Rosa of Martinez).
So, why the cultural lesson? One, I think it is important to gain an understanding and appreciation of other cultures, especially one that we have tremendous opportunities with which to connect!

And two, because it also explains one way in which many of our Latina sisters understand the name of Iron Rose Sister Ministries. In Spanish, we are known as Ministerio Hermana Rosa de Hierro (Ministry Sister Rose of Iron). Re-read the direct translation of the name, in light of the cultural way in which names change in marriage. Can you see why people might think my name is Rose and that I am married to someone whose last name is Iron?

I have come to see this misunderstanding of our ministry’s or my name as an opportunity to remember my true identity. As a bride of Christ, my identity is found in Him. He, like iron, offers strength when I feel weak. And I, the weaker vessel, the delicate rose, am protected by the solid, unchanging power of the iron.

However, as women, even though we are described as the weaker vessel (1 Pet. 3:7), it does not mean that we are weak. We, too, are strong iron. Our strength is tested through the trials of life, but we are sharpened, as iron sharpening iron (Prov. 27:17).

God made us with a perfect balance of delicate beauty and strength—an iron rose.

Today, as we reflect on and share in the Common Threads, I encourage you to see yourself as a delicate rose, protected and strengthened by God, and therefore also a source of strength for your other Christian sisters, your Iron Rose Sisters.

#IronRoseSister #beautyandstrength #CommonThreads

• growth
• IRSM

On Wednesday, I shared my interview with our Cuban sister, Anita. Among my other correspondences with her, I wanted to share another story she shared with me recently. I pray it is of great encouragement, especially in the growth God may be calling you to.
Note: One of my favorite Bible verses is also one of hers!

My dear sister, I want you to tell you this story from my youth...
This year, my husband Julio and I will have been married 35 years. We are both 56. And my husband, Julio, has been a preacher for 40 years.

In the 80s, the church of Christ in Cuba was limited to six congregations, spread across the island. When Julio and I had only been married two years, Julio worked at a sugar factory and preached. I made and embroidered baby’s clothes. I also taught the women and the children at church.

One day, Julio told me that since he was nine, he always dreamed of going to his home province, Matanzas, to establish a church of Christ there. And that now it was time. “I want to go and preach in Jovellanos, a city in the center of the province, where the church has not met since 1969. I told him quickly and definitively, “I will not go.”

I began to defend my position: We don’t know if this is possible from a legal perspective. We have only been 6 congregations for years and no one has gone out to preach. I’m sure we can’t do it. Besides, that is the city with the highest level of criminality in the country, has the highest incidence of witchcraft and Afro-Cuban religions. We don’t have family there. There isn’t enough money... all human arguments.

I spent three days in bed crying over the decision. “I don’t want to go!” My husband patiently prayed and waited. When he thought it was the right moment, he spoke with me again about it. “In places where there is so much sin, that is exactly where we need to preach. I know that preaching outside of the church may cause some problems, but I know that God will be with us.” After a time, I agreed to go with him.

For two years, we went every weekend without seeing a single conversion. Later, we moved there and the two of us persisted in prayer and the work of evangelism. After a time, the work began to yield fruit. Forty or fifty children attended the class in the barrio. The church grew. People were being baptized and staying. The church became more established with elders and a dedicated meeting place.

From Jovellanos, we went to preach in the city of Cienfuegos, to the south. We also established a church in the city of Colón, preached in San Miguel, Cardenas and other places where the Lord’s church continues, to the praise and glory of God. Others were encouraged by our efforts and decided to evangelize in other places and provinces. It is beautiful to know that today there are more than 200 congregations across the island and it all started from an “I will not go!” My first reaction answer was not in consultation with the Lord. I needed to ask “What do you want me to do, Lord?” And, as Isaiah said, “Here am I. Send me!”

In a national women’s conference, nearly twenty years ago, I shared this story and several women told me that from that point forward, they decided to accompany their husbands in evangelizing. I pray that now, again, it will be an encouragement to some other sisters.

God bless,
Anita

#IronRoseSister #growth #God